3 Important Ways Ministry Leaders Care for People
Without love for people, ministry leaders are merely clanging cymbals, making noise without making an impact. People need to be loved, to receive care. The apostle Peter challenged pastors to willingly and freely shepherd God’s people (1 Peter 5:2). A loving shepherd is burdened to ensure the sheep are attended to and receive care and […]
Alignment and 3 Types of Staff Members
I recently wrote about the members of a church staff who make the biggest impact. Inevitably, among the staff members who make the biggest impact in their ministry areas and the church culture as a whole, there is deep alignment between the church’s mission and values and the staff member’s mission and values. Every healthy […]
3 Ways Ministry Leaders Must Lead Theologically
Without the Word of God, a ministry has nothing transformational to offer because the Lord uses His truth to change hearts and sanctify people. If leaders are not consumed with the Word, ministry will be shallow and discipleship will be scarce. Ministry leaders must care deeply about what the church believes about God. They must […]
5 Costs of Church Complexity
I have been in a bunch of these conversations in the last decade. Friend or Consultant: So what is the purpose of this particular program? It does not seem to fit your mission and strategy. Ministry leader: It doesn’t really. I mean I can make it sound like it does, but you’re right, it does […]
3 Truths about Leaders Who Add the Most Value to a Church Staff
In his bestselling book, The 80/20 Principle, Richard Koch builds the case that the majority of impact comes from a few actions – that 20% of activity results in 80% of the impact. And while it may sound ruthless, Koch applies this thinking to people as well. He argues, “a few people add the most […]
2 Wrong Postures Ministry Leaders Take Toward Pressure
In his book The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz writes that CEOs typically make one of two mistakes when dealing with the amount of pressure and stress a CEO has to carry: (1) They take things too personally. (2) They don’t take things personally enough. Of course, a ministry leader is not a […]
6 Essential Identities of a Ministry Leader
As God’s people, we are to live the reality of who He has declared us to be. He has rescued us and given us an incredible identity as His children, His bride, His priests, and His friends. As God’s people, our activity must be rooted in the identity He has graciously given us. The same […]
4 Essential Leadership Practices in Ministry
I recently spoke to a group of “emerging leaders,” and was asked to speak about essential leadership practices—areas of leadership where ministry leaders must continually focus. There are at least four essential leadership practices that transcend a role on a local church staff. Regardless of the ministry role, whether leading as senior pastor or in […]
3 Reasons Your Church Must Care About Groups This Fall
While one person can make a significant impact on each of us, we tend to be much more influenced by groups of people. Here is a fascinating example: The Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona has often faced a crisis as people can steal petrified wood at an alarming rate. Some researchers tested what message […]
2 Pitfalls of Too Many Programs in Your Church
My mother recently reminded me that when I landed my first full-time job, I declared I was excited to have more money for two things: (1) athletic shoes and (2) more frequent haircuts. I like shoes, and I was pretty excited this summer to customize two pairs of converse Chuck Taylors—one for me and one […]